


Day 1 - Holding Hands (30 Day OTP Challenge)

by Tayathestrange



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Arthur!kid, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, childeren, merlin!kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 14:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6987919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tayathestrange/pseuds/Tayathestrange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is really annoyed by the 'King of the Playground' until he learns something new.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 1 - Holding Hands (30 Day OTP Challenge)

**Author's Note:**

> As stated in the tags and the title I wrote that for the 30 Day OTP challenge. [ultravioletrainbows](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ultravioletrainbows)(aka wassereis @livejournal) and I collaborated in this one and she drew some lovely fanart to go with the story. Thank you a lot sweetie!
> 
> And also a big THANK YOU to [snickersnack](http://archiveofourown.org/users/snickersnack/profile) for being a great beta once again!

One thing was for sure:  
Arthur was an insufferable, overbearing prat. Since the first time they'd been introduced to each other on the playground near Hyde Park. He had come over with his nanny following him like a dog and asking Merlin's mum if Merlin would like to play with "little Arthur" because he knew nobody around and should really make some friends.

Now, a few weeks later, Merlin also knew why. From the moment he'd asked the boy with the annoying blond hair that made the blue of his eyes just as annoyingly bright, what he wanted to play, time at the playground had turned into torture. Only because of a few additional months Arthur had to his age the boy was convinced he should be the king of the playground. They were both six! Why should he bow and do as Arthur said?

Apparently the "King of the Playground" was not very keen on answering this question, obviously too busy with ruling and deciding if Merlin, his loyal manservant, should be recording the width of his swing-jumps in the sand or be finding the king a new stick-sword. So while Merlin's mum was chatting away with Arthur's nanny Nancy on some bench nearby he would grudgingly run errands.

Though it was driving him nuts he probably endured it because he felt that Arthur was lonely. He'd only known him for a few weeks now, but he'd already found out that his mother had died before she could hug him even once and that his father's office was more of a home to Arthur's dad than the house they actually lived in. At least these were the reasons Merlin told himself on a cloudy afternoon, a month later when he was sitting in the sandbox struggling to build a sand-castle satisfying enough for the King's imagination.

“No, you're doing it wrong! You have to put the tower here, so that my knights can spot the enemy on time.” 

Grabbing Merlin's collar Arthur tugged him away from the part he'd just been shaping to point him towards the location he wanted for his watchtower.  
Arthur's new sword – a quite nice, long stick Merlin had just found earlier – was hanging from his belt loop showing everyone his station. That would bet if there had been anyone there to see. The playground was almost completely deserted, just one other child, a girl, playing at the swings while her dad, probably, was studying the newspaper on a bench nearby. Merlin's mum had left about an hour ago for a meeting with someone she wouldn't talk about. Nancy on the other hand had promised to keep an eye on them, but was nowhere in sight. Merlin couldn't recall what she'd been mumbling after her phone had rung some time ago and she went off. Not that he was thinking much about where she could've gone when Arthur was being especially annoying today.

“You know what?” 

Merlin's patience had reached its limit. Rising to his feet he stomped one time before throwing the remaining sand he was still clutching in his hand into the northern wall. 

“I don't care where you want your stupid tower. I don't care for that stupid castle. Why do I even have to build that? The jungle-gym's already one. Use that and leave me alone!” 

His eyes met Arthur's in a furious glare. Arthur was the perfect picture of a gaping monkey blinking dumbly at him as if he didn't understand what was going on. It didn't surprise Merlin.

“B-but I need it!”, he stuttered gesturing towards the half-finished construction.

“Oh yeah, what for?”

“For my battle plans. I need to plan on a smaller model. But of course a servant's not smart enough to understand the King.”

Merlin's face twisted, flashing red with anger. Arthur had pulled the last straw. Without thinking twice his small hands came up pushing him away. Arthur stumbled backwards having sudden shock written all over his face. 

“Merlin-”

“I'm not your servant! I don't wanna play that anymore!” 

Merlin struggled for words. 

“I'm a mighty wizard! I'm much more powerful than you!”, he shouted. 

In the meantime Arthur seemed to have gotten a hold on himself since a laugh managed to ripple through his startled features. Merlin's anger flared even more.

“Don't be stupid, Merlin. Nobody's more powerful than a King.”, he said with a roll of his eyes, indicating that this was common knowledge. 

But not for Merlin.

“You think? Well, I'll show you how powerful I am!” 

With this promise on his lips he turned towards the sand-castle remains while grabbing his blue toy-shovel on the way. 

“Watch me.”, Merlin announced and began to punch and stomp and kick all over the place, inflicting destruction on the work that had cost him hours. 

Towers were crushed, walls tumbled to the ground and sand flew in all directions. He let his rage roam not noticing how agonized Arthur's face was growing, his mouth shouting Merlin's name, telling him to stop. The last defences were smashed under his foot in a satisfying crunch.  
He would've probably gone on for longer, even breaking Arthur's stick-sword when a terrifying growl rolled above their heads right that second. Both of the boys froze looking up in surprise. It had grown much darker without their notice. Locked away under steel-grey clouds the sky was hanging threateningly close over the playground. Another wave of thunder followed, this time louder. And then it happened, ripping the sky in half, the first lightning. Merlin's head snapped back, his eyes taking Arthur's stiff form in, which was still fixated on the roaming clouds. His mouth hung open and his eyes were almost falling out of their sockets. The wind was picking up now, playing with Arthur's blond strands.

“Arthur?”, Merlin said. 

He got no response. Again thunder crashed directly over them now, tearing a flash from the sky. 

“Arthur, we should go.”, he tried again grabbing his friend's arm. Merlin started scanning the area for Nancy or his mother but nobody was left. The park was abandoned. Even the pair of father and daughter were gone. They were alone. 

“Arthur, come on, we need to find somewhere to hide.” 

He was tugging at Arthur's arm now, the boy remaining immovable. In his panic Merlin just started to drag him towards the jungle-gym. Only as he was forced to take a few wobbly steps through the sand did Arthur finally look at him, his eyes showing something deeper than shock.

“What?”, Arthur asked, obviously confused. 

Merlin didn't stop while he answered.

“We need to get in the castle before it starts raining.” 

As if the words had called for it, the first heavy drop hit Arthur's pale cheek, shaking him completely out of the haze. The next one followed promptly, running down Merlin's nose. And then it felt like somebody had opened the taps of heaven. Buckets of water were suddenly beating down on them, soaking through messy hair and thin cloth. Sinking into the ground the rain transformed the sand-box into a muddy swamp in a matter of seconds.

They started sprinting towards shelter as fast as their short legs were able to go. Arthur had grabbed Merlin's wrist navigating them through the puddles. As soon as they reached one of the 'castle-towers' Merlin was pushed towards the ladder. His hands and shoes slipped a few times on the wet wood but he made it up, crawling over the edge to get under the small red roof. Arthur followed suit.  
Breathing heavily now they both stared outside of their little shelter through the holes that represented door and windows. The rain hadn't lost any of it's intensity and a few additional minutes of the rumbling storm later it became clear that they would be stuck here for a while.  
When Merlin took a look at Arthur again to ask him if the 'Mighty King' had any ideas, he was surprised how close they had become. They were sitting barely two inches apart by now. Arthur had huddled closer while Merlin was busy observing the situation. Now he was curled into an almost heart breaking position, knees tucked under his chin, fingers digging into his jeans, his face pale as a sheet. Merlin had never seen Arthur's eyes so big and they seemed to grow even wider, the colour leaving his lips, when another roar of thunder crashed down from the sky accompanied by a flash so bright it was nearly blinding. Blinking the dark and white spots from his eyes Merlin could see how the other boy attempted to hide even more of himself by putting his face between his knees. He was so baffled by the amount of fear that could be seen in Arthur's every move that he didn't even hesitate in laying a comforting hand on his small shoulder.

“Hey Arthur, are you scared?” 

Arthur stirred and tried to escape the light grip with a move of his arm. 

“What? Of course not. 'M not a coward”, he mumbled as a retort but didn't crawl further away.

They passed some time in silence, only the storm filling in the gap. Then Arthur's hand dropped to the floor.

“Would you...hold my hand?” 

It wasn't more than a whisper above the rain almost swallowed by its noise but Merlin heard it. Facing away he took Arthur's hand into his own answering the tight grip with the same strength. The hand was as cold as his own but dry and a little bigger.

While the storm dragged on their intertwined fingers began to warm, the heat spreading over their knuckles and palms up their arms. Ghosting over shoulders it wrapped around both of them like a comforting blanket to soon flow through their small bodies.

Maybe the little wooden playground castle-tower wasn't an imposing fort withstanding the storm's every whim and scary force. But the feeling of a fear shared and lessened made it appear as strong and secure as every solid house.


End file.
